


Rejoined

by yeaka



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:20:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22353985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Simon came back to Jericho.
Relationships: Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 105





	Rejoined

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Detroit: Become Human or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

It’s hard to find clean water around Jericho, at least clean enough for this, but Markus manages. A bit of soap would be nice, but that can’t be found, and he isn’t ready to go out again just yet, not when they’ve just returned. Their raid went well enough—they spread their message and set dozens of their people free. But they also lost more lives to two sniveling cops who won’t face any consequences, and Markus’ view of humanity is growing bleaker by the day. His outlook is losing hope. But at least he has Simon back, and that does more for his mood than their successful escape did. 

He dips a rag into the bucket and soaks up the water, squeezes it out, then lifts the damp cloth to Simon’s face. His other hand curls beneath Simon’s chin, gently turning Simon towards him, and Simon obliges, going where Markus guides him. It’s so _different_ from how a human might touch him—Markus doesn’t pose Simon like a doll for his own amusement, but so he can see Simon’s face better in what little light streams in through the open porthole. They’ve found a small, quiet room to tuck away in, where Markus can just enjoy what he thought he’d lost. He scrubs softly at the flecks of dried thirium dotting Markus’ chin. Simon already tried to deactivate his skin and turn it back on, but the blood stayed, shining right through from the smooth plating underneath. It pains Markus to see him that way, drenched in his own blood. 

Markus remedies it as best he can. Simon sits still against him, eyes half-lidded and heavy. Markus cleans Simon’s jaw and moves to his other cheek, rubbing over the bridge of his nose, up onto his forehead. Simon closes his eyes as Markus washes the blood out of the fine gold hairs that make up his left eyebrow. When Markus is finished, Simon’s damp and glistening but clean. 

Just in cares, Markus twists the rag down Simon’s neck. He doesn’t dip any lower—all of Simon’s clothes are still on. Maybe they should take them off and scrub underneath, but that’s not Markus’ place. Maybe he _could_ use Simon the way a human would—Simon seems to respect him enough. But Markus would never do that. He drops the rag back into the bucket and asks, “Is there anything else I can do?” He already misses the excuse to caress Simon’s handsome face. Simon shuts his eyes and smiles brokenly. At least the cut in his lip has healed over. He shakes his head.

“You’ve done enough.” A long, shaken breath draws into Simon’s body, though he has no lungs to fill. Markus understands; sometimes he imitates human behaviour without even thinking of it, because his subroutines say _blend in_ , even though Carl never cared. Carl knew what he as and accepted it. Markus gets the feeling Simon wasn’t so lucky. Simon’s eyes flutter open again, and he asks, “What did I miss?”

It’s Markus’ turn to simulate a sigh. He wishes he had better news to report, even though Simon wasn’t gone long. Long enough for Markus to _miss him._ “A lot of action... and no real progress.” The news seems a little less hostile, but it’s not much. There’s no way to know what the humans are _really_ thinking.

Simon reaches out to cup Markus’ cheek, the touch sudden and electrifying—Markus almost deactivates his flesh there to let them _connect_. He holds back the urge to interface just in time. Simon tells him, “It’ll work, Markus. It might take a while, but... we’ll get there.” Markus wants to believe that. 

He tilts forward to press his head against Simon’s. It’s not the same as interfacing, but the contact’s still pleasurable in a way it shouldn’t be for a _machine_. Simon is the greatest proof to Markus that he’s _alive_. He murmurs, “I’m so glad you’re back.”

Simon shifts. Suddenly, his arms are around Markus. He pulls Markus into a crushing hug that Markus fiercely returns. Simon mutters into his shoulder, “I don’t want to leave again.”

“You won’t. I won’t let you.” Maybe Markus can’t make that promise, but he means to try. He also admits, “And I won’t take you for granted anymore either.”

Simon leans back to quirk one golden brow, right before Markus goes in for a kiss that’s instantly returned.


End file.
